Sloane hadn't expected to see Ben at the Whitby event. She had spent the day moving into her apartment and had no intentions of going out. Teddy begged her to be his date, because Mia had foundation responsibilities which included sitting at Celia's table.

It took all she had to not show emotion when she looked at him. For a man who wanted her out of his life, he certainly spent a lot of time looking at her and he wasn't always glaring.

Unfortunately for him, she had the upper hand. He thought Ted was married to Elaine, so Sloane played the adulteress and Ted was happy to go along. When Ted returned with her drink, he put his arm around her.

"Your boyfriend is here."

Shaking her head, she smiled at her handsome brother. "He hates me, but he also thinks you're still married. So any looks we get are because he assumes I'm your mistress."

"At an event with our friends?" Ted didn't hide his disbelief.

Sloane laughed. "Let him think what he wants."

Sloane knew they made a striking couple on the dance floor. They had learned to dance together. When she saw Ben looking her way, she put her head on Ted's shoulder and he pulled her close.

She whispered into his ear. "You're not so bad."

He leaned into her ear. "You know you love me."

She did, but it was a sister's prerogative to keep it a secret. Reluctantly, she had to relinquish her date to Mia. Watching Mia fall into Ted's arms, Sloane smiled. Let him be confused now. She was contemplating leaving, but Monty appeared. He wasn't drunk and kept her on the dance floor. By the end of the evening, she was tired of the glares. If Benjamin Lynch planned to invade her social engagements, she would stay home.

On Sunday afternoon, she sat in her own apartment watching the game before she had to leave. Because she was heading to the west coast, she couldn't wait until Monday morning. She watched as Jett struck out and the shortstop hit a line drive. When Ben approached the plate, she wanted to feel differently but couldn't. She watched all his rituals she knew like the back of her hand. They were oddly comforting.

He swung at a bad pitch, but kept fouling off fastball after fastball. The catcher set up for an inside pitch. It came in at a speed that Ben couldn't spin away from. It happened so fast, but he was on the ground. The broadcast showed the replay and again in slow motion. The ball hit his wrist. When the screen went back to live action, the training crew had surrounded Ben at the plate. When he stood, the crowd clapped. Sloane watched with her hand over her mouth as they escorted him off the field. His face had a grimace. He was obviously in pain. She tried to watch the game, but kept thinking about him. They showed the replay multiple times, and the announcer said the pitch was clocked at ninety-eight miles per hour.

Sloane reluctantly turned off her television. Her car for the airport was arriving. When she stepped out the back door, Mia was coming in.

"What's wrong?"

"I was watching the game. Ben Lynch got hurt. I just want to know he's okay."

"Maybe Noah will know something. The team always goes to his hospital."

Mia's brother-in-law was an emergency room doctor. "Is he working?"

Mia nodded. "I was just at my sister's. I'll see if I can get some inside information. You like him, don't you?"

"He hates me."

Mia laughed. "The man lusts over you. I watched him watching you. He doesn't like Ted."

"That's because he thinks he's an adulterer, because of how Elaine introduced herself at the gallery." Sloane's car arrived. "I have to go. I'll be back Friday morning if all goes well."

"I'll let you know if I find out about your friend."

"He's not my friend."

Once she settled into the car, her driver glanced back at her. "Mind if I listen to the game."

"Please. Any word on Lynch?" She doubted they'd have any information unless he was fine, but he didn't look okay.

"Nah, just that he was having an x-ray."

"I hope he's okay."

"They're gonna win this one for him."

The driver's voice knocked her out of her musings. She unconsciously had her thumb in her mouth. The last time she gnawed on her nails, she was nine or ten. Slipping her hand between her knees, she didn't trust herself not to pick up that nasty habit again.

When the car pulled up in front of the terminal, she was glad to release her nervous energy by going through the procedure that was as familiar to her as brushing teeth for most people. Sloane stood in the precheck line, which was a perk for her because of the frequency she traveled. She made her way through the crowded terminal to her gate and settled in for the wait until it was time to board. She knew it would be futile, but she searched her phone for news on Ben.

When her phone rang, she nearly dropped it. "Noah said it's broken. He'll be out the rest of the season."

"Is he okay? Did he say?"

Mia sighed. "He only texted what I told you. I just hope he doesn't get in trouble."

"I won't tell a soul." It relieved her to know something. She considered calling Kenzie, but Ben had told her to stay away from his sister. The last thing Sloane wanted to do was anger him.

Having been upgraded to first class, she settled in for the long flight. When the flight attendant came around, she accepted a glass of wine to calm her frazzled nerves. The fact Ben would not be on the field the rest of the season depressed her. She'd have to wait until March to get a glimpse of the gorgeous man again.

By the time her plane landed, it was still Sunday in California. Would Ben be asleep? It was the middle of the night in Boston.

As she walked toward the exit of the terminal, she saw a large crowd moving in the same direction. Not believing fate was at it again, she recognized them. The commercial charter they boarded after the game arrived at the same time as her flight.

Jett approached from behind and put his arm around her. He had his phone in his hand.

"How is he?"

"Tough. He's in pain and disappointed."

"How d'you know it was me?"

He smiled. "You're one of a kind and your Lynch tee helped."

She had forgotten she had put it on before the game to bring him good luck. It hadn't worked.

"Are you too busy to catch a game?"

"I'm not sure. Um, Ben asked me to stay away from his family. I think he means you too."

"I'm an adult. He can't dictate who my friends are. Let me know." They stepped outside. It was warm and loud with bus engines and honking. "Gotta go, but Sloane, he'll be okay."

"Yeah, I know." She felt sad watching Jett go.

Dom had also flown in on Sunday and on Monday morning, they met in the hotel lobby.

"How was your weekend?" He looked fresh and full of smiles.

Sloane felt tired having not slept well. "Awful." She had scanned her phone looking for information on Ben, but couldn't find confirmation of his being out the rest of the season or the break.

As always, he helped her into the car. "Tell me."

"Ben Lynch got hurt yesterday and oh, yeah, he told me to stay away from him and his family."

"Did you go to another game?"

"No, I moved into my own place."

"It's about time, freeloader." Dom always teased her for living with her parents. He shared a place with his brother. "Where did you see your hunky crush?"

She knew she could answer truthfully and end her secret. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly. "First, I stopped at a gallery event on Thursday. He was there, looking gorgeous in a suit. He accused me of following him. Then he thought Ted's ex was talking about me when she meant Mia. Thanks to the bitch, he thinks I'm after his money."

"Not a bad idea, you could stop all this travel. It will kill us."

"Why would I need Ben's money to stop?"

"If we had enough start up dough, we could work for ourselves and only take local clients and maybe do some work remotely."

"What? You in Chicago and me in Boston?"

"I'd consider moving."

"Really? That's what you want?"

"I'm so tired of hotels and living out of a suitcase."

"I can't believe you!" They both complained, but she never knew he hated it.

"What? I only keep doing it for you. I thought you loved it." He looked deflated.

"The work, not the travel. How come you never told me this before?"

"Because it's a pipe dream."

"What if it wasn't?" She smiled.

"I thought your player hated you."

Sloane knew she had to come clean. "I'm sure my father would invest in us."

"Your father?"

She nodded. The car pulled to the curve. She waited until they entered the building. "Have you ever heard of Calhoun Construction Company?"

He looked like he was ready to explode. Excitement or anger, she couldn't tell, but just then their client appeared with her hand out.

"Sloane Calhoun and..." She smiled as Dominic extended his hand. She would call her father later.

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